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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25147504">chi lo sa che cosa è vero in un mondo di bugiardi — who knows what’s true in a world of liars</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Devin_Trinidad/pseuds/Devin_Trinidad'>Devin_Trinidad</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>they were kids that i once knew [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marble Hornets</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alex is just mad, Gen, Noah is a good boy, Seth and Sarah are good friends, Seth brought his dog, Seth is a good cameraman, also Seth's dog is called Noah, could they be more? maybe, still good friends though, there is slight Sarah/Seth shipping here</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:01:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,586</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25147504</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Devin_Trinidad/pseuds/Devin_Trinidad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nello specchio questa sera ho scoperto un'altro volto<br/>la mia anima è più vera della maschera che porto<br/>finalmente te lo dico con la mia disperazione<br/>caro mio peggior nemico travestito da santone</p>
<p>Vaffanculo!</p>
<p>___<br/>I have discovered another face in the mirror tonight<br/>my heart is more real than the mask I'm wearing<br/>I am finally telling you, with all my despair<br/>my dear worst enemy disguised as a guru:</p>
<p>Fuck you!</p>
<p>-Vaffanculo (Marco Masini)</p>
<p>As the friendship between Sarah and Seth grow, so does their involvement with the Marble Hornets project. For better or for worse, they're caught in events outside of their control.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>sarah reid and alex kralie, sarah reid and brian thomas, sarah reid and jay merrick, sarah reid and seth wilson, sarah reid and tim wright, seth wilson and alex kralie, seth wilson and brian thomas, seth wilson and jay merrick, seth wilson and tim wright</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>they were kids that i once knew [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1719250</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. ero uno di quei figli sognatori adolescenti — i was one of those dreamy teenagers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Seth wasn’t sure if he was excited or concerned when one of the actors for Marble Hornets wanted to hang out with him. Although he wasn’t a shy person, per se, he was definitely a person who kept to himself and didn’t say much unless someone spoke first. Any notable exceptions came from the fact that the other person was just as quiet and reserved as him. In Jay’s case, he was that with a dash of social awkwardness. However, when Sarah Reid approached him after their first shoot, he had been surprised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Usually, a socially active person such as herself would hang out with the likes of Alex or Brian.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Speaking of Brian…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Why didn’t she want to talk about the script with him? It would make sense if those two were to work together because A) they were both acting in the same film and B) there was supposed to be this past romance or something between their characters. It would be beneficial, smart, efficient, and other positive sounding things if Sarah had decided to converse with Brian.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, when Sarah had approached Seth and talked to him about a myriad of things, she made it clear that she would rather talk to him. Maybe it was because within the Marble Hornets project, there was this distinct grouping among the participants.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was kind of obvious from the start.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brian and Tim hung out together because both weren’t film majors and were friends before the filming of Marble Hornets.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay, Alex, and Seth (of course) were all film majors and they wanted to make this production as fun and put together well as best as they could make it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Perhaps Sarah had felt a little out of it considering that she was the only female member within the entire group. Maybe she thought it would be best to hang out with a person who was… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, what was Seth?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was certainly quiet, but that was about it. Some people said that he aimed to please, but really, that was a matter of opinion. Regardless of why Sarah wanted to hang out more, Seth found himself glad of it. School was stressful and he didn’t always have the chance to hang out with women who were as kind and witty as Sarah (as he had come to find out after a few interactions with her). </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Seth adjusted his glasses and checked his watch, he groaned and immediately stepped on the gas pedal with a little more force than was necessary. Thankfully, Sarah wasn’t like Alex, so she wouldn’t get too passive aggressive at him like Alex was when Jay had arrived to a shoot tardy a couple times. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth shuddered at that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He would prefer to stay out of the way when it came to confrontation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once Seth approached the playground where Sarah and him had decided to hang out (it was also the same playground that he had scouted with Alex a couple times before so that was a bonus—immersion and all), he finally slowed his car to a crawl and smoothly turned into a parking space. Task finished, Seth grabbed a large paper bag from his passenger seat and proceeded to an area adjacent to the playground where adults can sit at tables and eat while watching their children. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There, Seth found Sarah reclining on one side of the wooden table, a spread of textbooks and notebooks neatly arranged on the table. As Seth’s gaze assessed her figure, he found that she was chewing on one end of a purple highlighter, her eyes scrunched together in what appeared to be frustration. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, that wouldn’t do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eager to please and to make sure that Sarah wasn’t suffering from any ill side effects of Alex’s script, he plopped himself on the opposite bench of the picnic table. At his appearance, Sarah glanced up, highlighter in her mouth, and a small smile on her lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, sorry for the wait.” As Sarah nodded in forgiveness for Seth’s tardiness, he upended the paper bag that he held onto the table. The bag was indistinguishable from any other except for the sheer weight and volume. Objects, unseen but obviously present, bulged. “The guys texted me with their wish list last minute.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah poked one of the paper bags with the tip of her purple highlighter. Even though it was a light tap, the color purple managed to seep deep into the paper, forever smudging it dark purple. “What do college boys get when they have no survival skills?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth rolled his eyes. “Some of us can cook, Sarah. It’s just that most of them would rather spend more time focusing on college instead of…” He began to mutter under his breath, fully realizing the irony of his next few words, “…basic survival skills.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He leaned his chin against the palm of his hand while the other fingered with the frames of his glasses. He hoped that by distracting himself, he wouldn’t look like a roasted tomato, but one glance at Sarah’s teasing smile, he knew that he still had the look of embarrassment dusting over the apples of his cheeks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever you say, Seth.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She made as if to say something more, probably to tease him and an entire generation of college boys who were possibly going to die from scurvy when a little something yipped and whimpered in her lap. A small, furry head rose up and yawned cutely before nuzzling deep into Sarah’s stomach. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As loathe as Seth was to admit it, his dog looked so cute when waking up from a nap.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, baby,” Sarah cooed as she cradled the toy poodle against her chest. “Did you miss Papa Seth?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As she allowed the small dog to nuzzle and lick her chin, Seth leaned against the back of his chair as he watched Sarah cuddle his best boy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just when Seth thought Sarah couldn’t get more mushy, she began peppering the dog’s muzzle with little kisses. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now that was just cocky; it was still cute and adorable what with Sarah’s actions and all, but that's besides the point! That was his dog, damn it! Without any warning, Seth leaned forward and gently stole the toy poodle away from her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Immediately, the dog whimpered, as if being stolen away from his new friend was a traumatic event. Quickly, Seth shushed the small dog and began rocking him in his arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Noah, buddy.” Seth stage-whispered. “Did this mean lady hurt you? You don’t have to be shy, just tell me and I’ll take care of her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really?” Sarah’s deadpan voice caught Seth’s attention. As he settled his dog onto the warmth of his lap, Sarah continued. “I just babysat your dog—FOR FREE—gave him kisses—FOR FREE—and you accuse me of ill intentions?” She waggled her finger in front of the film major, her stern demeanor slightly cracking as a small smile threatened to break her composure. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Although she was a good actress, even she couldn’t help but break character. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tsk, tsk, tsk, Wilson… you might have to pay workman’s comp what with the trauma of the ordeal and all that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh-huh.” Seth flashed her a smirk as he petted Noah’s furry muzzle in comfort. “And what would like you in exchange for compensation?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah pretended to think for a second before she allowed her gaze to fall towards the paper bag, “I think you know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A loud groan left his lips. The sudden sound caused the dog on his lap to yip in concern, but Seth soothed Noah with a murmur and light pat on the rump. While he glared at Sarah with the force of a thousand exploding suns, he withdrew from his bag—</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that—!” Sarah could barely contain her excitement as she whipped the object from Seth’s hands. Lo and behold, within the palm of her hand, there was an apple, the colors of light yellow and red looking inviting underneath the afternoon sun. Seth caught sight of the awe and admiration in Sarah’s eyes and tried to stifle the laugh that was building in his throat. So his guess was right: Sarah had a weakness for apples. “Why do you have something so blatantly healthy in your possession?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Or that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yeah, Sarah was definitely more impressed by the fact that Seth Wilson, college student, had something healthy in his possession.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of answering, Seth decided to ignore her in favor of petting Noah’s fluffy little head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In retaliation, Sarah threw one of her highlighters into Seth’s chest. At first, Seth laughed the attempt away, but froze when he realized that her highlighter had been left open and that the tip left a dark purple streak down his shirt. Splotches of ink on clothing were usually of no consequence to Seth, but for Sarah, he pasted on a scandalized expression and pretended to faint and sway in front of her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Geeze, woman!” He earned another highlighter to the head for that one. “Okay, okay! Definitely deserved that. Anyway, I helped Miss Evelyn—one of our elderly neighbors—with her groceries and she gave me a couple of apples as a reward. Happy?” When he saw that Sarah looked like she was about to launch another highlighter at him, Seth brought up Noah from his lap and carried him like he was a shield.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Was he a coward?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Definitely.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But it was worth seeing Sarah trying her hardest not to smile at him. It was kind of hard seeing Seth be so “vulnerable” and “small” when he was several inches taller than her. In fact, he was probably just as tall as Alex and Alex was easily one of the tallest people that she knew.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For now,” Sarah muttered darkly. She bit through the flesh of the apple and let out a sigh of pleasure. Seth studied her as a small impulse that he wanted to stamp down seemed to grow. When his eyes met Sarah’s, he decided that he should go for it. “Sorry, did you want some?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, no…” He leaned forward, mindful of Noah’s head, and smiled just a little to put her at ease. “I just realized why Alex decided to keep you on.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because no one else auditioned and he’s desperate?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, yes, but there’s something else.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what’s that?” Sarah took another bite of her apple. A little bit of juice ran down her wrist, causing her to lightly lick at that area while managing to not look too weird about it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth leaned his head against the flesh of his palm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because you make the perfect love interest.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah didn’t know how, but the bite of apple in her mouth went down the wrong way. </span>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. e per uno che ci arriva quanti sono i fallimenti — and for someone who makes it how many are the failures</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sarah stood uncertainly near the public bathroom. She had been busy going through her lines (few and corny as they were) and had decided to touch up the little makeup she had on her face. As she was about to approach the restroom for women, she had caught wind of a coughing fit from the male restroom. At first, Sarah had thought that the coughing would stop after a few seconds, but the fit continued.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Horrible and wet, the sounds of terrible coughing sent chills up her spine.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was like this person was hacking up one of their organs. It was harsh and rough, the breathing labored and wanting for air. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If she didn’t know any better, Sarah would have thought that it was Tim in there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A part of Sarah wanted to rush into the bathroom to inquire if the person in there needed help, but just as she was about to pass through the threshold, Tim was immediately in her line of sight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Embarrassed to bear witness to his plight, Sarah stuttered out an apology, but was pleasantly surprised to see that Tim was just as surprised and embarrassed as her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A-are you all right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, er…” He scratched the back of his neck and huddled into his usual yellow jacket that he brought along. When asked, he had claimed that he had been feeling cold as of late. “I think I’m coming down with something. Don’t worry about it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah frowned, clearly unconvinced. That amount of coughing didn’t sound good, even with a flimsy explanation such as that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sensing that Sarah wouldn’t drop the matter, Tim leaned against the wall outside the bathrooms and affixed her with a stare that bordered on stern and wary. “Look, I’ve had… experience with coughing fits in the past. It’s, uh… I have meds that I’m taking.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Relieved, Sarah nodded as she, too, began to recline against the side of the wall. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So,” Tim began to ask, his posture significantly relaxed now that Sarah wasn’t questioning him. “What brings you over to the men’s restroom?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh!” Sarah thought back to what had originally brought her in this area of the location. When she had finally grasped onto that train of thought, she smiled widely at Tim and said that she was busy preparing for the next scene. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Speaking of scenes...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is this really your first time acting, Tim?” Sarah couldn’t help but ask. “The last take we shot was perfect!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A rueful smile lit up Tim’s face as he took out a cigarette from a pack and began to light it. (Sarah had shot a questioning glance at Tim, obviously doubting his sanity, but he waved her suspicions away). Unlike Brian, who was constantly talking with others and being a general ray of sunshine in the midst of the darkness that was American college, Tim was a sweet, but shy guy. Maybe she was judging him too quickly, but Sarah had the feeling that Tim was a lonely soul. He had that way about him that made it seem like he had so many things to say, but didn’t because of social anxiety. Even now, as he inhaled the aroma of nicotine and other carcinogens, he struggled to meet her gaze, but his lips remained upturned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, uh, thanks?” Tim coughed a little, but held up a hand as Sarah began to approach him in concern. “I mean, I just happened to be at the auditions so…” He looked away from Sarah’s curious gaze again as he scratched the back of his neck. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Still, though, did you act a lot as a kid? Seriously, if you haven’t, you’re a natural.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah expected Tim to be as bashful and shy as he was the first day they met. What she didn’t expect was to see Tim’s normally soft brown eyes harden and something like fear and resentment flash in his eyes. It was a weird reaction, but Sarah brushed it off—an expected move since Tim began to reply with a compliment of his own. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If I’m a natural, then you’re obviously the best actress here!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah playfully punched him in the shoulder, a silly little blush dusting her cheeks. Considering that Sarah had been acting since she was a little kid and had participated in numerous plays, musicals, and a few other short films, she had one of the most experiences with acting. Still, she knew that while she had the most experience, Sarah thought Tim definitely had nailed the role. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alex handcrafting Tim’s personality into the best friend character may have helped a little, but it was definitely Tim pulling his weight to make this project as good as possible. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tim laughed a little before stubbing out his cigarette. “I think that has something to do with the fact that you’re the only actress here, Sarah.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank God for that,” Sarah muttered. She leaned in close to whisper conspiratorially in Tim’s ear. “I would absolutely die if Alex started acting.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I get to give a eulogy?” Seth, cameraman extraordinaire, asked. Both actor and actress jumped away from each other, just a little spooked that the cameraman managed to sneak up to them while holding a camera, tripod, a bag full of… things, and other equipment without either of them noticing. Really, it was astonishing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah rolled her eyes. “And why is that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth rummaged through his bag and pulled out the badly battered script that Alex had given him only a short time ago. “Three words: pot book scene.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tim, who up until this point had only talked to Seth in passing, added in a quip that surprised Seth and Sarah. “Geeze, the more I read the script, the more I think he was high when he wrote it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth chuckled, his eyes looking at Tim in newfound appreciation. “Honestly, I think we rag on Alex a little too much, but I gotta admit, I didn’t think you had it in you, Tim.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shrugging, Tim looked away from both of them so that he could hide his small smile and overwhelming blush. Sarah still saw it, though. She thought that it was kind of adorable and saddening that Tim sought to hide such a wonderful expression from others. If it weren’t for his shyness, he would be just as charismatic as Brian.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Sarah could voice her concerns, Brian ran up to their little group. As usual, his handsome face held a grin that had others instantly relax upon seeing it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, guys! You mind if I cut in?” As the trio shook their heads, Brian smiled wide and slung an arm around Tim’s broad shoulders. “Alex needs to talk to Tim about the next scene.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At their shared acquiescence, Tim and Brian moved in Alex’s direction. However, Tim must have felt something was off because he hastily shrugged his jacket off his broad shoulders and placed it in Sarah’s waiting—albeit, confused—arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, it’s getting a little warm and I don’t think Seth would like to have more stuff to carry.” He looked at Sarah, a hidden plea and apology in his eyes. Of course, seeing that it was just his jacket and the heat was getting to everybody (most notably Alex), Sarah agreed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t forget your jacket or I’ll keep it forever,” Sarah teased.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ha. Thanks!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Turns out, Tim was a forgetful person.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was getting dark and the crew was ready to depart after an afternoon’s worth of shooting. Jay reviewed changes to the script with Alex, Brian congratulated Tim for adding some impressive lines, and Sarah helped Seth load the equipment into his car. It had been agreed beforehand that he would give her a ride back to her apartment as long as she treated him to dinner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After bidding their friends goodbye, Sarah melted into the passenger’s seat, a wave of exhaustion clouding her mind. Even Seth, who had to endure more of Alex’s comments, looked ready to fall asleep at the wheel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Home cooked meal or—“ She stifled a yawn. “—or takeout?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth drummed his fingers over the steering wheel. “You have any major projects or exams tomorrow?” He sent a concerned look in her direction. “You can always pay me back some other time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, no… That’s all right.” She rubbed her temples to ease her discomfort. “I only have a quiz tomorrow, but it’s all good. I’ll just study the notes that I made.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Smarty pants.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah elected to ignore that. “What’ll it be? I cook or I pay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm…” Seth made a considering noise and tapped his fingers against the cool surface of his steering wheel. He tapped it in a rhythm, slow and steady before he pulled up at a stop light. “Actually, there’s a place near this area. You want to check it out?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah thought about his suggestion before nodding. “Yeah. Let me check how much money I have on me.” As Sarah flipped on the light and fished through her purse, Sarah took note of a certain bit of clothing that she had wrapped around her waist. Further inspection revealed that it was Tim’s jacket. Suspicions confirmed, Sarah sighed and unwound the cloth and held it up to the light so that Seth could see. “I knew I forgot something.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just as she said that, her hands brushed against the pockets of Tim’s jacket, the fabric barely disguising the cylindrical shaped object. A little confused and concerned, Sarah fished it out and inspected it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A bottle of pills.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Although the bottle was in the customary orange color that denoted pharmaceutical prescription drugs, the label had been ripped off. The only indication that the bottle was meant to store medications other than the child safety lock on the lid and the orange color that permeated the bottle was that there were only half a dozen pills left. Clearly, Tim had need of his medication if he was so low.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth stole a glance at Sarah, his eyes narrowing in suspicion at the bottle in her hands. If he wasn’t such a good driver, he would have leaned in for further inspection, but he refrained. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That doesn’t look like it’s yours.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s because it isn’t.” Sarah’s brows furrowed as she took in the bottle, of the sound that erupted as she shook the pills. “It’s Tim’s.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At Seth’s pointed look, Sarah quickly elaborated. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Remember when Tim gave me his jacket earlier? I kind of hung onto it and well… Looks like we’re both forgetful people. It’s odd; you would think that I would remember about his jacket since it was wrapped around my waist, but what can you do?” Sarah let out a deep breath before dropping the bottle into Tim’s jacket for safe keeping. Task finished, she then dug through her purse for her phone. At the sight of it, Seth hummed low under his breath and moved onto the next intersection. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Texting Tim? I’m not sure if it’s worth going back at this point.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just want to let him know that I’ve got his medication. And—“ She decisively sent the text, the small notification on her phone alerting her to the sent message. “—there you go!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a while, the both of them relaxed in the silence before Sarah felt her phone beep. She flipped her phone open and scanned the contents of the text. As expected, the message was from Tim. His words were direct and to the point, but had the sense of gratitude. Because he had already taken his last dosage of the day, there was no rush to meet up again. After a little bit of back and forth, it was decided that they would meet up before one of Sarah’s classes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After that exchange, Sarah leaned back, almost too tired to talk anymore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Seth?” A low hum met her ears. “Tim, he—“ Sarah paused for a moment as she tried to formulate the right question. There was only one thing Sarah wanted to ask: What did Tim have? Probably not the most tactful question, so she switched up tracks at the very last second. “How well do you know him?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not much,” Seth chewed on his lips before continuing. “I only know him through Alex and Alex knew him because of Brian. Why do you ask?” At that moment, Seth began pulling into the parking lot of the restaurant. Seth parked near the entrance and cut the engine, the both of them stayed silent for a few more moments.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He seems off, sometimes.” It felt wrong to admit that, but it was the truth. Even with the discomfort of letting loose such a truth, Sarah knew that Seth wouldn’t rat on her. “Not in a bad way! It’s just… he worries me. He gets scared sometimes and he has those coughing fits… I’ve never seen anything like it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth’s lips pursed as he gazed at Sarah, an unreadable look on his face. It was at that point that Sarah noticed that Seth’s face seemed paler than usual, that the bags under his eyes seemed more pronounced than what was normal for the average stressed out college student. The more Sarah thought about it, the more Sarah realized that today, Seth seemed more subdued than usual.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Actually, now that she was really thinking about it, there was a running trend that Seth… and everyone, actually, had become more on edge than usual. Hmm… it was very interesting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And unsettling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-I’m not s-s-s-sure—“ Suddenly, Seth opened his car door and began coughing, the sound of which sounded painful. When Sarah reached out to grasp Seth’s shoulder, the coughing began to subside.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you—“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He interrupted her before she finished her query. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just coming down with something. Don’t worry about it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She opened her mouth again, but Seth beat her to the punch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything is fine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. siamo tutti conformisti travestiti da ribelli — we are all conformists dressed as rebels</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Seth frowned a little as he checked the watch that encircled his wrist. Although the scheduled time for their shooting was only in about ten minutes, Seth knew that there was going to be hell to pay (and a bit more) if Alex caught wind of the fact that his crew were close to being late. There was a reason why Alex had come up with the perfect time and date—it would be rude to impinge on that time when they could easily spend it shooting their production. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, as Seth played with the tripod and adjusted the strap on his handheld camera, he didn’t catch sight of Sarah or Brian, the two most important assets in this particular scene. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sighed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If he didn’t know any better, he would have thought that the both of them didn’t learn from the first few incidents with Alex. Although Marble Hornets was supposedly fun to shoot and be a part of (and it was in the beginning), for some odd reason, Alex seemed to take the whole thing too seriously at times. In the beginning, Seth had chalked it up to the whole film major-with-a-dream kind of thing (he had experienced the same thing, so he knows what he’s talking about), but over time… As weeks passed, the shooting became more and more of a chore. It was absolute madness trying to reason with Alex on the simplest of things and when classes started again, he had become all the more surly and reticent. His camera was at his side at all times, recording everything in sight. Most of their peers had chalked it up to his idiosyncrasies taken to the extremes, but Seth knew better.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was something… off about Alex Kralie.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth had never been close friends with Alex, but when they had started filming together for Marble Hornets, Seth had honestly thought that they were going to be friends. Maybe not the best of friends, but definitely something more than the acquaintances they had been from the start. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All hopes and dreams of getting along with Alex flew out the window the moment he had become consumed with this need to continue with a project that seemed to be draining something from him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was strange.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But, Seth supposed, that was probably a low price to pay for creativity in order to create art. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Seth checked his watch again for the millionth time, a car pulled up in the parking lot. To his relief, Brian manned the steering wheel while Sarah talked animatedly in the passenger seat. They must have shared the same class together, or maybe Sarah had bribed Brian into getting her a lift. Seth’s lips curled up at that thought—that girl could be quite the charmer whenever she wanted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once they had parked, both Brian and Sarah ambled their way in Seth’s general direction. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank God,” Seth muttered once they were in earshot. “Alex is already—“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brian slapped a hand on his shoulder. “You worry too much, Wilson. Keep thinking like that, and you’ll end up with grey hairs before you’re thirty.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hate to admit it, but I think Brian’s right,” Sarah added. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth rolled his eyes at the both of them as he whirled on his heel and strode into Alex’s desired location. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was true, now that Seth thought about it. Brian had this eerie capability about being right about most things. As a person who had the charisma and the attitude to befriend anyone he wished, Seth was hard pressed to think of any scenario or example where Brian could be proved wrong.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At times, Brian seemed like he was too good to be too true to even exist. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But that wasn’t the only thing that was mildly unsettling about Brian.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The thing about him was that he had the uncanny ability to just know people. He had that look and feel of someone you just automatically knew, even if you had never met him before. After a few minutes of conversation, Brian would just know your name, your hobbies, and every detail of your backstory. If given the chance, Brian could blackmail dozens of people without breaking a sweat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In fact, if Seth remembered correctly, Brian had told him about Dunbar’s Number. Supposedly, it was the number of people or acquaintances you can remember and keep connections with. According to Robin Dunbar, the number of relationships that the average person could remember was one hundred fifty. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth had a feeling that Brian’s ability to know and remember people far exceeded that limit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a few minutes, they reached the park where Alex had decided a short time ago that he had to have this exact scene here. Apparently, the backstory for this particular scene was that Brian (the Brian from the script not from real life) and Sarah (again, from the script) used to hang out as kids in this very same playground. In this specific scene, Brian would confess his love to her, but would end up getting rejected in the end. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was supposed to be tragic, but it ended up comedic and heavy handed. Given how Alex had portrayed Brian throughout the script (like any stereotypical lost teenager in a world simultaneously too big and too small for him), it seemed more than well deserved. Script!Sarah obviously deserved more than Script!Brian. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Finally!” Alex ran up to the crew and began directing them towards various areas of the playground. Because he was the cameraman, Seth began setting up the tripod so that it would be situated near the swingset where the confession would take place. Meanwhile, Alex told Sarah to sit at one of the swings and that Brian would be approaching from her left side when the time came. However, seeing that they weren’t as late, Brian and Sarah could take the first few minutes to rehearse their lines. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what are you going to do?” Seth asked Alex. It seemed strange, but he seemed almost… skittish. Usually, Alex preferred it if his actors memorized their lines ahead of time so that they could immediately launch into shooting. It was out of character for Alex to take the trouble of setting up a time where he emphasized punctuality, but still allowed them time to practice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In fact, where was Alex even going?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alex shrugged. “Left something in the car.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth frowned. What was Alex even doing by himself? Couldn’t he have come back earlier?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then it hit Seth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“More tapes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alex sent him a dirty look over his shoulder but didn’t reply. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth didn’t mind too much. It was much better than getting chewed out for it so early in the day. As he continued to set up, he heard Brian and Sarah talking in animated voices, probably a little louder than necessary to stave off the tension that followed after Alex had left.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brian leaned as far back as he could on one of the swings without looking like an idiot—which was easy because he was Brian Thomas. “Are you ready for the long awaited love confession scene?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah followed suit, albeit a tad more gracefully, onto one of the swings. “Ready to get rejected?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oof, you broke my heart.” Brian stretched a little before asking, “How was your quiz by the way? I heard from Carter that it was, and I quote, ‘a tragedy handwritten by Shakespeare’.” He huffed a small laugh that got Sarah smiling as well. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Considering that I was one of the last to finish… Well, I’m just praying to get a passing score.” Sarah sighed before kicking her feet off the ground so that she could begin swinging. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth whistled lowly in sympathy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you sure that you’re up for rejecting Brian today?” Seth asked in a mock parody of a sympathetic voice. “It’s going to take a lot of mental fortitude to reject a guy with that million watt smile of his.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They all shared a laugh at that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite the good humor, Sarah still frowned in consternation as she reviewed the notes she wrote on her copy of the script. “I’m actually surprised that Alex would go down the route of all love is unrequited at the very end. When I first read it, I thought it was going to play out like any rom-com, but the ending more than made up for it. Color me impressed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Believe it or not, Alex rewrote the ending a couple hundred times or so.” At Sarah’s disbelieving stare, Brian nodded unabashedly, almost too excitedly in response. “I’m pretty sure you’ve heard the story. Alex has been working on this project ever since he was a freshman in high school. He knows what he’s doing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not lately, he hasn’t.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Although Sarah might have been joking, both Seth and Brian tensed up at that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So, it wasn’t just Seth who noticed that there was something wrong with Alex. While it was relieving to know that his suspicions were confirmed by his friends, it was still upsetting. Alex was so genuine and encouraging of others, but nowadays, he seemed so stressed and tired all the time. If Alex didn’t get help or change his attitude soon, Seth wouldn’t be surprised if production stalled or completely stopped. There was only so much patience the crew had as a whole before they decided that they didn’t want to endure more of Alex’s abuse.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth would have continued contemplating this revelation, but it was Brian who spoke.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, guys.” Brian’s smile, an impish little grin, was comforting and breathed levity into the sudden tension of the situation. Like any other time, Brian’s charm instantly soothed Seth’s fears and smoothed the furrow that appeared between Sarah’s brows. With only that simple phrase and smile, Brian had them melting like butter on a heated pan. “Look, let’s just get through with this shoot and we can talk it out.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah shrugged, already knowing that she was going to acquiesce to Brian’s plea for pacifism. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Brian shot them a smile, this time tinged with a hint of mischief. “Don’t worry about Alex; Dr. Thomas knows how to deal with drama queens.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah sent Seth a look and the both of them laughed as she punched Brian in the shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t get ahead of yourself, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dr. Thomas,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Sarah teased, “you haven’t even graduated yet!”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. nello specchio questa sera ho scoperto un'altro volto — i have discovered another face in the mirror tonight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sarah stifled a yawn as she watched Jay fiddle with his Rubik's Cube. Although he had promised to show her how to edit videos on his laptop (it was actually Seth’s laptop, but they didn’t care), Sarah let slip that she would pay Jay five dollars if he could manage to solve the cube within fifteen minutes. (For some indecipherable reason, Jay had taken it upon himself to bring a Rubik's Cube when he had agreed to hang out with Seth and Sarah after a shoot). Taking that as a challenge and an affront to his pride, Jay had taken it upon himself to start rearranging the cube’s colors. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jay, relax, you don’t have to—“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay batted her hands away from the cube. Usually, Jay would have thought twice about acting so aggressively, but Sarah could clearly see that he was caught up in this foolish endeavor. She giggled a little too hysterically (</span>
  <em>
    <span>Jay’s face was way too serious!</span>
  </em>
  <span>), but Jay was so engrossed in turning the cube this way and that, he more than likely didn’t know that she had made a noise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Should I be concerned?” Seth, having just arrived from the visit to the vet, sat on the couch next to her. Noah, always so cute and quiet, lay nestled in Seth’s arms. When his friend showed no sign of cognizance other than rearranging one of the sides so that some the colors would match up, Seth began to address Jay. “Jay, you look like you’re constipated.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay muttered something under his breath, but refused to look up from his endeavors. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah nudged Seth with her shoulder. Weak to her whims, Seth allowed her the privilege of taking Noah into her arms. The toy poodle whimpered a little but immediately nuzzled into Sarah’s warm arms. Together, they watched as Jay made a small humming noise before matching a row of yellows to their mates.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Does he get like this often?” Sarah muttered to Seth. A quick glance at Seth’s watch revealed that Jay was at it for less than eight minutes, but it seemed like he wasn’t making headway. “He’s quiet, yeah, but he’s really focused now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth whispered in her ear, afraid that Jay was going to hear. “You should see him when I make some cryptic codes for him to decipher. One time, he spent an entire night trying to figure out something I wrote… only to find out that it was a reminder for him to sleep early.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are a monster.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth barked out a laugh. “Jay doesn’t take to self-care all that well.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah glanced at Jay and took in the large circles under his eyes and his pale complexion. “You don’t say.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth and Sarah continued to converse in low voices as they alternated between watching (or commenting, in Sarah’s case) Jay trying to solve the cube or booping Noah on the nose. When it was thirty seconds to the deadline, Seth quietly informed Jay. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay reacted the only way he could.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay began loudly swearing—some of those phrases caused Seth to color a bright hue of red while Sarah filed away some of the raciest things that Jay said. Who knew that the mousy little film major had a mouth so dirty, that it would be unfit for a sailor?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ten.” Sarah began the countdown.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Noah woofed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Seven.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Si—“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay slammed the Rubik’s Cube onto the table and pumped his fist in the air. A savage grin lit up his features; Sarah almost felt afraid as she saw his eyes bore deep into hers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Five dollars, Reid.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without replying, Sarah took the cube in hand and studied it. Although it was apparent that he had solved the cube, Sarah wanted to make sure—and to assuage the feeling of being a sore loser. As she passed the cube from hand to hand, colors glinting under the bright fluorescence, she had only one thing to conclude.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well—“ She placed the cube back onto the table and went to search her purse. “—looks like I’m five dollars closer to poverty.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, do you need those five dollars?” He scratched the back of his head and tried to wave away Sarah’s money. “I mean you can—“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth laughed at Jay’s kind nature. “Don’t worry about Sarah; she’s been mooching off of my hospitality the past few weeks.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Scandalized, Sarah placed a hand on her chest. “What? You’re the one inviting me over for lunch and study sessions!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you’re the one saying yes,” Seth defended. “I only ask out of societal propriety.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sarah elbowed him deep in the ribcage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay…” Seth heaved in a breath in a desperate attempt to stave off the pain. “I think I deserved that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, you did.” Sarah turned to Jay and offered him a small smile alongside a wad of dollar bills. “Besides, you won the bet fair and square; you deserve the money.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unsure, but still thankful for the boon, Jay took the money. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You still have to show me how you edit videos.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh! Right!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Jay pulled up Seth’s laptop, Sarah watched Seth meander over to his kitchen where he took stock of the contents in his fridge. There must have been something distressing about the state of it because Seth shut the door to his fridge with a little more force than was necessary and began rifling through his drawers for something. At the sound of the ruckus, Jay looked up from the editing software, confusion and concern on his features. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you all right?” Jay called out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth sighed and dug deep into one of the drawers one last time to retrieve a pack of post-it notes. “Looks like one of my roommates forgot to stock the fridge, which means… We will eventually starve and resort to cannibalism if I don’t go to the grocery store real quick.” Out of one of his pants pockets, Seth retrieved a pen and in another, he pulled out his glasses. He slipped his glasses onto his face and began to hurriedly scribble onto the post-it. “You guys want anything in particular? I’m thinking mac and cheese.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As long as you’re cooking, then I'm fine with whatever,” Sarah replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Same here,” Jay added.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Seth nodded to himself before he tore off the post-it and stuck it into his pants. After a brief moment of hesitation, he approached Sarah and took Noah back into his arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why?” Sarah whined. She tried to take the cute little dog back into her arms, but Seth was much too tall for her arms to reach. “Come on, you already took Noah to the vet, I bet he doesn’t want to go outside anymore.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At that, a nasty smile lit up Seth’s face as he leaned in close to his dog. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, Noah,” Seth crooned into his dog’s ear. Noah perked up at the sound and panted a little, as if expecting something from his master. “We’re going for a walkie!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At that, the normally quiet dog began to buck and yip in Seth’s grasp. Chuckling, Seth set his dog on the ground and watched as the toy poodle scampered towards the door and began pawing at it eagerly. Every so often, the little dog would whimper and whine, calling out for Seth to let him out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Low blow,” Sarah seethed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay patted her on the shoulder in sympathy. “It’s okay, Sarah. Take it this way, without Noah here to distract you, you can now focus on the editing program.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s right,” Seth added. There might have been a small, victorious smirk on his features, but maybe Sarah was reading too much into it. Seth slung a jacket over his shoulder and hooked a leash onto Noah’s collar. “Anyway, if you guys don’t have any special requests, I’ll probably be back in like twenty minutes or something.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Slowpoke.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, Seth. I’ll catch you up to speed on the process when Sarah and I are finished.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Walking out the door, Seth bade them farewell, a yipping Noah leading the way. Once the door to the apartment closed, Jay plopped the laptop onto Sarah’s side of the table. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well,” Sarah stretched out her hands and rolled her shoulders. “Let’s get started.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For the next few minutes, Jay taught her some shortcuts in editing, what to look for in certain scenes and what it meant to be a script supervisor. Sarah did not realize it earlier, but Jay played an important part in the process of film production. Without him, there would be continuity errors, poor editing, etc. (Some of the scnes were still… not as good as they could have been, but that was more of the director’s fault alongside terrible writing. There was only so much that Jay could do to save the project).When they finally started viewing the footage, Sarah was practically overwhelmed with all the knowledge and the detail that had to go into the process.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Geeze, you ever get tired of looking at a screen all day?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You get used to—Wait.” Jay furrowed his brow and leaned in closer to the screen, his hand hovering over the mousepad. He turned to Sarah, his face a little troubled. “Did you see that?’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See what?” Like Jay, Sarah leaned in close to the screen, curious as to what Jay was going on about. “All I see is Brian making a fool of himself on camera.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, erm… Hold on.” Jay backtracked the footage and then paused. His finger pointed in an area beyond the tree line of where they had shot the scene. Sarah looked and—</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s a guy in a suit doing there?” She squinted and peered closer. “He looks so pale.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jay bit his lip. “Could be a vampire.” That elicited a brief bout of laughter from Sarah, but Jay quickly sobered. “Here’s the thing, Seth and I have been seeing this guy through the footage a lot. I know it seems weird, but—“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suddenly, the door to the apartment creaked open, a chipper Noah bounding to the room slowly followed by a bemused Seth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hold on, Jay,” Sarah said as she moved away from the table so that she could help Seth. “We can talk about the footage later; let’s get dinner started.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Almost as quickly as the thought of dinner filled their minds, did the sudden appearance of a well suited man leave their thoughts. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Later on, Sarah heard Jay complain about the appearance of one of the videos.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Apparently, it was distorted and corrupted beyond saving. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
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